Chapter 55: Rainstorm Wild Temple 17 Part 2
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[Ah, ah, Brother Yan is so handsome! So handsome!! I have no regrets; the one thing I’m most proud of is becoming a “Yan Mai.” Brother Yan is truly amazing. Did you all see that scene just now where Brother Yan charged at the statue with a long pole? I already took a screenshot; it’s an unforgettable moment! On one side is the imposing, towering golden statue, and on the other is the young man charging forward with determination. He may be small in stature, but his spirit is absolutely overwhelming. All around is the eerie backdrop of the mural temple. Motion and stillness, light and shadow, taut yet powerful. Incredible! Brother Yan is killing me! It’s just like a CG scene in a video game. I shared it with my best friend, and she asked me if it was a trailer for a new game from some gaming company. She’s itching to play it now. Haha! There may not be a new game, but there’s a new idol – Brother Yan is awesome!]
[Ah, ah, sisters, please share it with me! I want it too! When I saw that scene just now, I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak. I used to look down on those who talked about gods and spirits, thinking they were too arrogant. People should be modest and humble, right in the middle. But just now, Brother Yan really broke my principles of conduct. I’m so excited; tears are welling up in my eyes. At home, I clenched my fists and cheered Brother Yan on! It’s like I’ve gone back to my college days ten years ago when I used to dare to take risks, not afraid of anything. And now, has life really transformed me into what I am today? I have no regrets becoming a “Yan Mai.” I’ve never been a fan of anyone, but Brother Yan is truly a star, guiding me forward, breaking the boundaries I’ve set for myself, giving me the courage to fight against life once again. Brother Yan dares to kill god, and I’m only dealing with a minor boss. What’s there to fear? Let’s go!]
[Sisters above, keep going! Even though I don’t understand why an ordinary person from a travel variety show has somehow become a life coach through a live horror broadcast, it doesn’t matter! An idol who can’t exorcise demons isn’t a good teacher! However, a good idol can certainly provide positive guidance. I’m so moved; I want to join the “Yan Mai” fandom.]
[I’m dying of laughter, this cracked me up. Other people’s idols: “Brother, great singing and dancing!” “Works really hard in acting and singing!” My idol: “Can exorcise evil spirits and catch ghosts, and is also a life coach.”]
[Oh, this? This is the most absurd reason I’ve ever seen for being a fan. But, well… when there are ghosts and even the statues are moving, can there be anything more absurd? Time_to_get_serious.jpg]
[Waaah, you guys finally started sending bullet comments! This child was almost scared to death! Why didn’t anyone send any when Brother Yan was in the main hall earlier? The screen was empty, not even a protective comment. I was so close to freaking out; I wanted to exit the screen, but my whole body was frozen, I couldn’t move. It wasn’t until you started sending comments just now that I felt the presence of people. Finally, I’m recovering.]
[Cough… Did you think we weren’t scared? We were too busy screaming, that’s why we didn’t send comments. My neighbor, the guy next door, was so polite; he knocked on my door when he heard me screaming. I didn’t dare tell him that I was just watching a variety show, a travel show… It was like a scene from hell, causing a disturbance so late at night. I was so embarrassed; I wished I could just find a hole to hide in.]
[It’s you! The neighbor from next door. I’m your neighbor. Actually, I was also scared by the program. I was scared and then I heard screams coming from your wall, and I almost thought my house was haunted…]
[Ah, ahhh!!! I’m so sorry, sisters. Let’s meet again on Mars.]
[Hahaha, confirmed that the neighbor guy next door is a straight-laced old cadre. He just finished saying he was embarrassed, and then you appeared. It seems like the sisters above are going to pack their bags and immigrate to Mars overnight. Goodbye, sisters, snooze snooze head hair fondness.]
[Holy crap! I just came from Anthony’s split-screen broadcast, and I could see several huge rats chasing after An Nanyuan and the others. One of the guests got injured. Yes! It looked exactly like the animal painted on the ceiling of the main hall. I was about to give up hope; I thought it was a certain death, but then those rats suddenly ran away. I told you something absolutely happened just now! Otherwise, those rats wouldn’t have suddenly run off in unison. Did Brother Yan just take care of it in the main hall? Brother Yan is amazing! Solving the problem at its source.]
[Huh? Rats chasing An Nanyuan? I didn’t know about that. Because I really don’t like Anthony, I just blocked his split-screen; he doesn’t notify me when he goes live. Did I miss something? I’m clueless.]
[Dang! Brother Yan must have done something on his end. I just came from Anthony’s stream, and he was going crazy! Filming those guests being chased by rats and cursing weirdly. Those guests were already pushed to the brink; you could see those rats were directed by Anthony, heading straight for where they were hiding. They were about to give up hope; even that guest named Bai Shuang was almost in tears. But then, those rats suddenly stopped, as if they heard something, and turned around to run away. The guests were saved. As we, the audience, celebrated with the guests, we were still wondering what happened. Then someone said it might have been Brother Yan doing something. And when I came here, hey, he really did!]
[Dumbfounded, it’s no wonder that we, the old viewers who watched the previous episode at the Gui Mountain Villa understood Yan Shixun so well. Oh no, it’s Brother Yan! Brother Yan is awesome! I declare from today onwards that Brother Yan is my real brother!]
[Huh??? Did something like this happen with the other guests? I’ve been glued to Brother Yan’s split-screen and had no idea. I’ll go check right now!]
As viewers exchanged information through bullet comments and the comment section, most of them quickly learned about the situations of Yan Shixun and the other guests. They immediately rushed to the split-screen of the other guests.
Meanwhile, Yan Shixun had completely forgotten about the fact that he was live-streaming.
His focus was laser-sharp, and his eyes were locked onto the motionless red spirits in the courtyard. His muscles were tense as if he were ready to enter combat mode at any moment.
In the pouring rain, the two sides faced each other in eerie silence, without making a move.
After a while, those red spirits seemed to lose interest in Yan Shixun and slowly redirected their gazes back to the deep recesses of the main hall, tilting their views slightly upward, as if looking at something above.
Yan Shixun furrowed his brows and suddenly had a conjecture.
The scarecrow that had appeared earlier had been shouting “Mountain God offerings” and “Mountain God’s birthday” continuously. It seemed that these recent days were a significant time for the Mountain God Temple.
In a normal Mountain God Temple, there would be temple fairs, processions, and blessings. The surrounding villagers would bring their children to participate, creating a lively atmosphere. However, what was currently enshrined in the Mountain God Temple was not a true god. So, who or what would come to participate?
Possibly spirits, scarecrows, or other forms of malevolent entities.
If that were the case, could these spirits be here for the Mountain God’s ritual?
Since they came for the ritual, they might not react to anything else until the time for the ritual arrived. This seemed possible.
To test his hypothesis, Yan Shixun crouched down slightly, picked up a piece of debris that had broken off from the main hall, and casually tossed it towards the courtyard.
The debris passed through the semi-transparent crimson bodies of the spirits, bounced twice on the ground, and landed in the distance.
However, these spirits showed no reaction at all. They stood in place, continuing to use their entirely black, deathly silent eyes to gaze wordlessly at the deep recesses of the main hall.
As expected…
Yan Shixun, now certain of his earlier speculation, slowly relaxed his muscles and followed the gazes of the spirits to see what they were looking at.
Was it their Mountain God in their hearts?
Then, Yan Shixun noticed that what the spirits were gazing at was the ceiling of the main hall.
However, now that the god statue that was previously beneath the painted ceiling had collapsed, the once dignified main hall was now in shambles.
As for the gigantic creature depicted in the ceiling painting…
It had disappeared without a trace at some point.
Only an empty god’s seat remained, looking rather comical.
…Hmm?
Yan Shixun furrowed his brows.
Could it be that the creature saw that the attempt to seize the god statue had failed and took the opportunity to escape when the main hall was filled with dust and visibility was poor?
He clicked his tongue in disdain. “Even if an evil god wraps itself in a disguise, it can never become a true god. To think it ran away? Such a spineless thing.”
With a snort, Yan Shixun, wearing a scornful expression, stepped into the main hall and walked towards the space that had been hidden behind the god statue.
The figures on the murals had all vanished, and the doors and windows of the houses were all tightly shut. It seemed that they had been frightened by the spectacle of the statue crashing down a moment ago and were now hiding.
There was only one young woman left in the mural. She was anxiously gesturing towards something, running along the fields depicted in the mural, trying to get his attention.
Yan Shixun sensed something and instinctively turned his head, locking eyes with the young woman.
He paused for a moment, then saw the young woman’s eyes light up with joy, constantly pointing ahead and signaling him to go there.
Yan Shixun followed her gaze in the direction she indicated, and it led him to the spot where the old god statue had been.
After the god statue in front had fallen, the space behind it was now completely exposed.
The wooden god, covered in gray dust, lay on the altar with its back to Yan Shixun. Unlike the golden deity adorned in the armor of the ancient era, exuding a martial and combative demeanor with its muscular physique and sharp implements, this wooden deity, even from its back, exuded a sense of tranquility. Its contours were smooth, lacking any sharp edges, resembling the flow of water, radiating a warm sense of love, as if it were the source of nourishment for all life, making people feel comfortable and close.
Even though the stone deity itself was already weathered and covered in dust, it looked as if it had been neglected for a long time.
Dust?
Yan Shixun furrowed his brows and walked quickly toward it.
Just a few hours ago, during his first exploration of the main hall, he had meticulously cleared the dust from the old deity and the altar with a handkerchief. How was it that, in just a few hours, the old deity was once again covered in dust?
He reached out his hand, intending to lift the fallen old deity.
Then, his hand froze in mid-air.
Just a few hours ago, despite the old deity being worn and showing significant wear and tear on its arms and shoulders, covered in dust and spiderwebs, devoid of any adornments or intricate carvings that should typically decorate a deity, the wooden statue as a whole remained intact.
But now, a massive crack had started at the feet of the wooden deity, spreading upward to its waist. It seemed like a mere touch would cause it to split in half from the middle.
Even Yan Shixun couldn’t help but be moved, his gaze on the deity reflecting a faint glimmer of light.
So, the muffled sound he had heard when the golden god stature attacked him from behind, it wasn’t an illusion, but rather, it was the old deity collapsing onto the altar?
Was it trying to warn him?
Since the Mountain God Temple was already in trouble, with the rightful deity displaced and the malevolent god arrogantly occupying the temple, even the golden god statue had become a tool and weapon manipulated by the malevolent god, signifying that the divine position had been commandeered.
Could this old god be the true master of the temple, one who had already faced adversity? Was that why it repeatedly attempted to alert him, and why the benevolent young woman in the mural had gestured for him to seek out this deity?
Yan Shixun slowly crouched down, his handsome features displaying reverence for the old god.
“Yushun once said, ‘Look to the mountains and rivers, and seek the multitude of gods.’ Mountain gods are born from a specific landscape, blessing the land with favorable weather and protection against evil. They should be revered and worshiped by those they shelter, bringing closure to this cycle of cause and effect. But why are you lying here, no longer sheltering your people, watching them be invaded by malevolent worshipers, even allowing your own temple to be occupied?”
Yan Shixun deliberately slowed down his voice, softly questioning the wooden statue, as if expecting a response from the god. “What happened exactly? Those murals, scarecrows, ghosts, charred corpses… What are they? Have the villagers turned into those figures from the murals, or are they the scarecrows and ghosts?”
Although there was no wind blowing, the statue unexpectedly trembled slightly.
Yan Shixun patiently waited for a response, but there was nothing more from the statue.
He lowered his gaze, looking at the statue’s smooth and compassionate face.
The craftsmen who carved the statue must have done so with a deep love and reverence for the Mountain God they believed in. They meticulously sculpted the stature’s features, from the gently drooping willow-leaf eyebrows to the eyes that radiated a motherly warmth. Every detail on the statue was crafted with exceptional precision and care.
Even the Mountain God herself seemed willing to find solace within this statue during times of forgotten faith and stolen divinity. She continued to exert her dwindling power to protect her children, even extending her shelter to a passing outsider who was willing to offer unwavering protection.
Even if the statue were to shatter, it was a sacrifice deemed worthwhile.
Yan Shixun extended his hand to lift the statue and carefully wiped away the dust and cobwebs from its surface.
“I’ll take you away from here, away from sharing this space with malevolent worshipers. What do you say? I’ll help you regain the justice you’ve lost and reclaim your divine position. The temple that’s been occupied will eventually return to your hands. By then, you can continue to be the Mountain God, protecting the lives in this land. How about it?”
The statue remained silent.
Only a tiny splinter fell from the carved eyes.
As if a god shed a tear.
As Yan Shixun stood up, intending to lift the statue.
He was astonished to find that the statue, which he could easily pick up when he inspected the Mountain God Temple earlier, was now too heavy to move.
It was as if the statue itself was refusing to leave.
“Even if the Mountain God were to pass away, she would die on her own temple, expending her entire strength and spirit, becoming one with the earth, and continuing to nourish this land.”
A deep and steady voice suddenly came from outside the temple.
The man stood at the threshold of the main hall, with pouring rain and the red ghostly figures behind him.
However, his overwhelming presence made it seem as though he stood at the forefront, commanding the spirits, and none dared to disobey.
“The Mountain God will not leave with you.”
The man gazed at Yan Shixun and spoke indifferently, “She still has her own mission to fulfill.”
“Crack!”
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, tearing through the darkness.
In that instant, it illuminated Yan Shixun’s dark and angry expression.
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